MOCA Names Public Media Executive Jonathan Abbott as Director

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles has named Jonathan Abbott as its new chief executive and director. The appointment was announced on 24 September 2026, the Los Angeles Times reported. He will lead the museum's artistic programme and its daily operations, from exhibitions to staffing and budgets.

Abbott is not a career curator or a long-time museum director. He is a former public media executive, ARTnews reported. He formerly worked for GBH in Boston, the public media organisation that runs television, radio and digital services. In plain terms, his background is in free-to-air programming and public audiences rather than galleries and auction rooms.

He will be the seventh person to lead MOCA since 2008, according to ARTnews. That is a fast churn. One new leader has followed another in quick succession. For a collecting museum, which looks after works for the long term, changes at the top are closely watched.

The choice follows years of leadership turmoil at the museum. The Los Angeles Times described MOCA as naming Abbott as its new director after that unsettled run. The reports did not set out further details of past departures. They focused on the fresh start.

The double title matters. Chief executive covers money and management. Director covers art and ideas. One person now holds both jobs.

What makes this stand out for casual visitors is simple. The director shapes what you see and how you see it. Exhibition schedules, ticket arrangements, opening hours, school visits and community programmes all sit with that office. A change at the top can alter a weekend visit as much as a gala dinner.

MOCA, as a contemporary art museum, serves a broad public beyond collectors and specialists. It stages temporary shows, cares for a permanent collection and offers public events. Abbott's experience in public broadcasting speaks to that public-facing side. The job involves keeping the galleries open, the programme running and the organisation steady.

Neither announcement set out a start date or a first programme under Abbott. That detail is still to come. For now, the fact is the appointment itself. Los Angeles has a new museum chief, and he arrives from Boston public media. Fans, neighbours and first-time visitors will watch what he schedules next.